Thanks to all for the advice - I believe that it is a partnership between health care provider and patient....always have. Just wanted to be clear about what the endo would do for you that is different from a great internist. Appreciate it very much!!!

In your extreme situation (you basically had a thyroid storm) it makes sense for you to have an Endo.

Particularly when your GP tells you she's not an expert and that you'd be better off with an Endo.

For someone whose thyroid disease is mild, whose symptoms are under control, it doesn't make good financial sense... there really is nothing to be gained from the extra money spent. Additionally many Endos specialize in diabetes. So going to an Endo doesn't guarantee better care.

Like I said earlier... it depends on your circumstances... there is no one right answer.

Thx, Gator, I appreciate the props! Its gratifying to be given the opportunity to share what I've learned with others... help in some small way.

As for "do you need an endo" question... its like all my advice which means the answer depends on your situation... and the other human in the picture... you doctor.

I've always felt its not he degree on the wall, its the degree to which a doctor cares about his/her patients, how open minded he/she is, how informed they are on new research. Better a GP that cares and is informed, than an Endo that treats everyone to a cookie cutter approach!

On the other hand, I think its important for patients to educate themselves, have a general understanding of how their bodies work and any disorders they may have. Know the names of any medications they are taking and what the possible side effects are. Cultivate good diet, exercise and sleep habits. IN short take responsibility for their own health.

I was told it's very important to have an endocrinologist if you have thyroid problems. My primary doctor basically said that she "can't be an expert in every area" when it comes to health. And she's right. We can't expect our doctors to all be experts about everything regarding the human body. Hence, specialists. :)

Mzzchief, you are an amazing resource and information provider. We are incredibly lucky to have you as our leader. I had a related question - how important is it to have an endo? Frankly Ive never been to one... thanks and have a great day - so glad to hear that queenb results are definitely going in the right direction - hope her dr news today is positive!!!

Well it looks like your pituitary is responding to your thyroid hormone dose since your TSH is dropping. That's great news!

I'm happy to hear that you're starting to feel better.

When you get your thyroid hormones measured next time, ask your doctor for the "Free Thyroid Hormone" test aka a "Free T test" in addition to your TSH. The Free T test measures how much Free T3 and Free T4 is in your blood available to cells.

When you are on Armour, dosing is usually done by how much FREE thyroid hormone is in your blood, (and your symptoms) not by the TSH. The Free T test is more accurate as to how much hormone is readily available to cells all over your body.

Did you take your Armour the day of the test, if so how far in front of it? Your TSH seems to be quite low, this isn't a problem if your Free Ts are in range. Also some peeps on Armour seem to do better at the lower TSHs for some reason.

What you've got here is a T3 & T4 TOTALS (both bound and Free Thyroid hormone) which isn't particularly helpful bc it doesn't say how much of these hormones are free and you didn't provide your tests ranges.

Do you have the ranges on your Prolactin test? My understanding it that these tests vary from one lab to the next, so it helpful to have the range. For MOST tests "normal" is between 3-30 which would make your score very much in range.

I would ask your doc to test your TPO antibodies again to see if you can drop the selenium.

Talk to your endo about the swelling in the crease of your eyelid and ask if it would be prudent to test for TSI antibodies. Your endo sees a lot of people with this condition, he'd be the one to ask. Your body has been thru a lot, it might just be general inflammation that settled in that spot.

Yes, TSI antibodies are usually associated with Graves.... hyPERthyroid disease... but some people with Hashimoto's have them too... I do.

You don't want to be on 200mcgs of selenium any longer than you have to be... which is usually no more than 6 weeks -2 months. The RDA is 55mcgs, but in your case you had crazy elevated TPOs, which respond both to selenium and the addition of thyroid hormone.

I don't know what to ask my endocrin. Im feeling better, having a little anxiety, and my right eyelid is still swollen, best described as in the crease of my eyelid. Does this mean I have Graves? I'm in a whirlwind, trying to get better, but still very confused. I'm taking Selenium 200mcg, Vit D 5000, and Biotin daily. The lab work, because all the tests are different, I dont exactly know how to compare. I'm nervous about seeing my dr. tomorrow and don't know where to start.

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